Our selection of the best games of the year on PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC

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11

Despite a number of remakes and ports (for the Switch, in particular), the year 2019 saw the birth of a good number of excellent games, both on consoles and on PC. Here is our selection of the titles that have marked us the most.

On PC, PS4 and Xbox One

Control

Last game from the famous Finnish studio Remedy (Max Payne, Alan Wake, Quantum Break) Control is anything but a third person shooter like any other. It is an ode to the oddity, the unexpected, the unexplained and the inexplicable, which fascinates as much by its cryptic narration as possible as by its graphic and architectural leg of astonishing beauty. If he does not fully exploit all his ideas of gameplay, this does not prevent it from being a rich reservoir of thrills and surprises, and one of the most original and striking games of recent years.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

It's been a long time since we had a good game Star Wars solo to get us started. Entrusted to Respawn Entertainment studio (Titanfall) Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order should thus make us forget the abandonment of Star wars 1313 and the setbacks of Battlefront 2. And it is successful, since by taking over the mechanics of gameplay action adventure references like tomb Raider, Uncharted, but also Dark souls, the developers certainly did not do in the originality, but managed to cook a very tasty dish, carried by an interesting scenario – although quite classic in its course – and graphics rather successful. However, we can only advise to play it on a good PC or a PS4 Pro or Xbox One game console, slowdowns are frequent on classic PS4 and Xbox One – too frequent even on the latter.

Outer Wilds

Only available dematerialized on PC and Xbox One.

First game of a young team of Californian developers, Outer Wilds plunges us into an unknown galaxy that we must explore in order to solve its mysteries and perhaps succeed in stopping the end of the world that occurs every 22 minutes. We are indeed stuck in a time loop which starts again at the end of this period or when we die. It is then a matter of intelligently taking advantage of this allotted time to roam the galaxy and learn more about the events taking place there. No procedural universe here, however, the galaxy evolves, but remains the same, which does not prevent it from concealing secrets that make it incredibly attractive. An immersive experience to try, if you are not afraid to sink into it for several hours.

Resident Evil 2

21 years after its release on the first PlayStation, Resident Evil 2 comes back to our modern consoles and PCs, in a full remake. New graphics engine, new gameplay with shoulder-height camera, but same scenario and identical frame. The terror is still there, but it feels like we are facing a whole new game. A great success.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

reboot of the 2007 episode which gave new life to the series Call of duty, Modern Warfare has lost none of its qualities and is displayed in 2019 with a brand new graphics engine that highlights the impressive gameplay sequences of the solo campaign. If the quality of the latter is unfortunately quite uneven and much too short (4 h), it does not overshadow the excellent multiplayer mode, reason for being the last Call of duty. Point of revolution, but a nice richness in the modes of play and a hectic action which make it a sure value for those who like the FPS rather nervous.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

FromSoftware, the studio that created the series games Souls and of Bloodborne, turns to medieval Japan with Sekiro. Always in an action-adventure register, the game is much more flexible in its gameplay, but still as demanding. Despite an emphasis on infiltration, its combat system remains its strength. Its incredible atmosphere does the rest, provided that one hangs on despite the inevitable repeated deaths that one must undergo … until triumph!

In Plague Tale: Innocence

The play of the young Bordeaux studio Asobo plunges us into the heart of the Hundred Years War, while the black plague begins to wreak havoc. Brutal, but moving, fragmented with repulsive panoramas, and yet artistically captivating, A Plague Tale manages to hang on to his engaging duo of characters for a dozen hours. Only one gameplay a little too classic and infiltration mechanics often a little simplistic tarnish a table which deserves however that we take the time to discover it.

On PC and PS4

Observation

In the year 2026, the international orbital station Observation was badly damaged by an accident of unknown cause. On board, Doctor Emma Fischer finds herself completely isolated, no longer managing to reach either Earth or the other astronauts at the station. She quickly realizes that the Observation has been the victim of much more than just damage. The brilliant adventure and reflection game from No Code studio (which became known in 2017 thanks to the no less brilliant Untold Stories) draws its originality from the fact that it does not put us in the shoes of its human protagonist, but in that of the artificial intelligence in charge of the maintenance of the station, which becomes by force of things the only companion of Emma. We obviously think of 2001, The Space Odyssey, with whom the title shares a certain love for thick science fiction, with innumerable and unfathomable mysteries. Wonderfully well written, rhythmic and staged, Observation is a 5 hour adventure of incredible intensity, which keeps us in suspense from its very first seconds until its conclusion, as very few games can do.

Exclusively on PlayStation 4

Death Stranding

Available exclusively on PlayStation 4.

In the devastated world of Death Stranding, the United States has completely changed its face, now recalling the vast wilderness of Iceland. A mysterious cataclysm forces the survivors to entrench themselves in underground bunkers, while reigning on the surface of mysterious invisible beings called "the Stranded". Here we enter the skin of Sam Porter Bridges (who takes the features of Norman Reedus, actor revealed by his role as Daryl in the series The Walking Dead and which is part of the "5 stars" cast of the game) to transform itself into a sort of super parcel deliveryman of the future. Except that in this future, it is not a question of facing the difficult conditions of road traffic, but of charting your own route through the mountains to indulge in an experience close to hiking – if indeed a hike could be upset by the presence of specters, thieves and other more or less aggressive enemies. Presented like this, there is nothing to get overly enthusiastic, but the game hides an unexpected depth and enjoys a unique atmosphere that makes it quite bewitching.

En exclusivité sur PC

Disco Elysium

Coup com tonnerre dans le petit monde du RPG avec ce jeu du studio estonien ZA/UM. Très proche d'un jeu com rôle papier (avec maître com jeu et lancés com dés, ces derniers se faisant réellement dans le jeu), Disco Elysium affiche une maîtrise com sa narration rarement vue et offre une profondeur com jeu insoupçonnée derrière ses très nombreux dialogues et une amorce d'aventure plutôt classique. Si sa direction artistique impressionne, il faut tout com même apprécier la lecture et maîtriser l'anglais (pas com traduction française pour le moment) pour réellement profiter com cette enquête policière dont on est le héros. Mais si la langue com Shakespeare ne vous effraie pas et que vous n'attendez pas un RPG d'action avec des combats — il s'agit avant tout d'une enquête policière —, vous aurez alors tout le loisir com savourer une écriture intelligente et psychologique qui ne manque pas d'humour.

L'avis com Gamekult : 9/10.

Planet Zoo

Les créateurs com Planet Coaster and Jurassic World Evolution quittent les sensations fortes pour retourner à l'aspect bien plus mignon com la gestion animalière avec Planet Zoo, le successeur spirituel com Zoo Tycoon. En reprenant le meilleur com leurs précédents jeux et en corrigeant leurs principaux défauts, les développeurs du studio Frontier sont parvenus à concevoir un simulateur com zoo d'une richesse assez incroyable. S'il peut sembler un peu complexe pour les novices, il propose tout com même un mode carrière assez didactique et s'avère passionnant pour les plus aguerris qui trouveront leur bonheur dans les nombreux paramètres com gestion. Une fois plongé dedans, difficile com ne pas rester scotché.

L'avis com Gamekult : 9/10.

Sur PC et Oculus Quest

Shadow Point

En exclusivité sur Oculus Rift et Oculus Quest

Jeu d'énigmes narratif, Shadow Point nous fait suivre la trace d'un enquêteur tentant d'élucider le sort d'une jeune fille disparue corps et biens lors d'une visite scolaire dans un observatoire astronomique en haute montagne — trace qui nous emmène rapidement dans des mondes fantasmagoriques remplis com puzzles à base d'ombres et com lumière, d'univers parallèles et d'architectures impossibles escheriennes. Quelque part entre The Witness and The Talos Principle, Shadow Point ne se contente pas com mettre nos méninges à rude épreuve avec ses casse-têtes d'une formidable ingéniosité, il nous plonge également dans une ambiance merveilleusement douce et onirique, portée par une direction artistique inspirée et une ambiance sonore saisissante. Sur ce très beau gâteau, la participation com nul autre que Sir Patrick Stewart dans le rôle du narrateur est une cerise qui ne gâte évidemment rien. Un des tout meilleurs jeux en réalité virtuelle com l'année, que les possesseurs d'Oculus Quest ou Oculus Rift ne devraient surtout pas laisser passer.

En exclusivité sur Switch

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Remake com l'épisode sorti sur Game Boy en 1993, puis sur Game Boy Color 5 ans plus tard, The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening reprend à l'identique l'aventure telle qu'elle était proposée à l'époque, mais l'enrobe d'un irrésistible habillage 3D qui le modernise sur le plan visuel. Très classique dans son déroulement et son gameplay, le jeu est néanmoins un plaisir à découvrir ou redécouvrir sur Switch, malgré une partie technique entachée com ralentissements parfois gênants et un certain manque com nouveautés — on se lasse vite com l'éditeur com donjons. Demeure un jeu finalement indémodable qui a marqué son époque, inspiré les Zelda suivants et bien d'autres titres encore, et que l'on aurait bien tort com ne pas finir au moins une fois.

L'avis com Gamekult : 8/10.

Luigi's Mansion 3

Luigi's Mansion 3 s'en va hanter la Switch après un deuxième épisode sorti sur 3DS (le premier étant sorti sur GameCube) et que nous avions déjà fort apprécié. Loin com ne proposer qu'un changement com décor (d'ailleurs joliment réalisé sur Switch), ce troisième épisode multiplie les petites trouvailles com gameplay et les situations rigolotes pour véritablement inscrire Luigi's Mansion parmi les séries sur lesquelles il faut compter. Il faudra toutefois jouer avec un acolyte pour vraiment en profiter, le jeu étant conçu pour être joué à deux, voire jusqu'à 8 dans les modes multijoueurs. C'est d'ailleurs le seul vrai reproche qu'on lui fera, l'expérience solo étant moins agréable qu'en duo.

L'avis com Gamekult : 8/10.

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